Labour Party presidential candidate and former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, has addressed lingering public scrutiny over his past interaction with the late military ruler, General Sani Abacha, clarifying that his engagement was purely civic and devoid of political motivation.
Obi via his official X handle on Wednesday, released an official letter documenting his co-option into a federal Taskforce on Port Decongestion, which was set up during the Abacha regime. The move, he said, was a response to the persistent misrepresentation of the role he and other private sector players played during the era.
Obi explained that the initiative was driven by economic concerns, particularly the negative impact of delays in clearing goods at Nigerian ports on traders, importers, and the broader economy.
“As I stated during my interview at the weekend and have consistently maintained, I had never met General Sani Abacha before that encounter,” Obi noted.
“Our meeting with him was borne out of collective concern as traders and importers over the prolonged delays in clearing goods at the ports. We approached him not as political actors, but as concerned citizens seeking pragmatic solutions to a matter affecting economic activity and livelihoods.”
According to him, the engagement was not political, but rather a civic response to inefficiencies plaguing port operations at the time. He reiterated that the group’s intention was to advocate for better logistics and economic outcomes for Nigerian businesses.
“This clarification is offered in the interest of truth, to reaffirm that our actions were driven solely by a sense of civic duty and not political ambition,” he said.
Obi expressed skepticism that the release of the document would silence critics whom he referred to as "mischief makers with ulterior motives." However, he said placing the record in the public domain was consistent with his long-standing commitment to transparency and accountability.
“I don't expect this copious evidence to bury this Abacha case because the mischief makers have ulterior motives, but it's being placed in the public space for posterity and in line with my transparency pledge to Nigerians on any issue I am involved in.”
The clarification comes amid renewed attention on public figures’ roles during Nigeria’s military regimes, as politicians face scrutiny over past associations and the implications of those ties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
